Low Carb Mini Taco Bites
These Mini Taco Bites are bite-sized goodness, you guys!. They have all the flavors of a beef taco stuffed into a mini pastry cup.
Not only are these taco bites tasty but they are mighty cute, making them an amazing party appetizer or treat on Taco Tuesday! There’s just something so fun and whimsical about mini foods that I can’t resist.
My son loves Taco Tuesday, and I try to work them into our weekly meal plan weekly but I wanted to change our normal low-carb tacos up by making them bite-sized in little edible cups inspired by the flavors of those crunchy corn shells my son loves.
Since we try to avoid process carb foods like those shells, he doesn’t get them often. However, I will pick up low-carb tortillas from time to time, but at almost $5 for 8 tortillas that is not always something I am willing to fork over often!
He’s only eight, so once in a while, I do let him have some of those crunchy corn shells but it is usually when we are eating with friends out or visiting my mom, his MoMo.
She may just spoil him while we are there, okay she does. He comes home just a little more rotten each time, lol. But it is We’re from the south you guys, feeding you your favorite foods is just what MoMo or grandmothers do.
Making the Taco Bites
So to make the mini cups, I just pulled off little pinches of the pastry dough, about the size of a small cookie scoop. Then I rolled it into a ball before dropped each one into my favorite mini muffin tin that I had sprayed with coconut oil spray.
Next, I used my little wooden tart press, also sprayed to prevent sticking, to press down on the center of the balls in each muffin cup. Pressing down evening until the dough formed a little cup in the tin.
You will need to spray your tart press for each ball. If not, you could have a mess on your hands, and who wants another mess to clean up? Not you or I, that’s for sure.
Once you’re done filling your muffin tin with your mini cups bake them at 350 degrees for about 12-15. The shells will be golden brown and will come out of your tin easily.
As your cups cool you can prepare your taco fixings. I usually do the basics like ground beef, salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce, and tomato.
I start by browning one pound of ground beef or venison and add my taco seasoning mix. Then I mix in some salsa and cheese with the meat before using it to fill each little cup.
My dough and filling are enough to make about 18-24 mini Taco Bites but this may vary a little depending on how large you make your cups as you are pressing them into the pan.
Then I mix in some salsa and cheese with the meat before using it to fill each little cup. My dough and filling are enough to make about 18-24 mini Taco Bites but this may vary a little depending on how large you make your cups as you are pressing them into the pan.
You may have some filling leftover but you can freeze it or eat it as a taco salad for lunch the next day.
Each mini bite gets topped with a garnish of sour cream, a juicy piece of tomato, and a little sprinkle of cheese. If you wanted to skip the step of making the mini cups you could just make a large pie crust in a pie pan and fill it to serve family style.
I like to serve these with a bowl of Spanish-style cauliflower rice or a garden salad.
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Mini Taco Bites|| Low Carb & Gluten Free
These Mini Taco Bites are made of a flaky pastry cup filled with flavorful taco meat and topped with sour cream and cheese. The perfect bit for any Taco Tuesday meal or party appetizer.
Ingredients
For the mini crusts
For the Taco Filling
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup of salsa
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
- 1/2 small tomato, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degreesFahrenheit.
- Follow directions and make one batch of my low carb pie crust from my quiche recipe to make your pastry dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling prepare your mini muffin pan by spraying each little cup with cooking spray.
- Pinch off some of the dough and form balls the size of a quarter between your palms. Place each ball of pastry dough in a greased mini muffin tin.
- Use a tart press to gently press down in the center of each dough ball. This pressing action will press the dough up the sides of the muffin cups. Tip: Just press enough so the dough goes up the side as much as possible but not to thin on the bottom. Continue this process until all the dough is in the muffin tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees
- While your baked dough cups cool, prepare your taco filling.
- Add the ground beef and taco seasoning to a preheated skillet and cook thoroughly and drain any grease from the cooked meat before returning the cooked meat to the skillet.
- .To finish the filing mixture add the salsa and shredded cheese and mix well.
- With a tablespoon fill each mini pastry cup as full as possible and top with a dab of sour cream, a garnish of tomato, and an extra sprinkle of cheese if desired.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 107Total Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gSodium 154mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 2gFiber 3gSugar 1gProtein 6g
I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.
I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
Jo says
These look great! It seems to me I’ve heard a small amount of Masa (corn flour) can be included in on-plan baked goods. That might bring in a bit of that corn tortilla flavor that your son is missing?
Keri Bucci says
Very true Jo, I always forget about the Masa! Thanks for reminding me of that, we may just try that soon!